This May 5, 2005, file photo, shows the historic pre-civil war auction block for slaves and property at the corner of Charles and William Streets in downtown Fredericksburg, Va. (Reza A Marvashti/The Free Lance-Star via AP, File)
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — A 176-year-old slave auction block has been removed from a Virginia city’s downtown.
The 800-pound (363-kilogram) stone was pulled from the ground at a Fredericksburg street corner early Friday after the removal was delayed for months by lawsuits and the coronavirus pandemic, The Free Lance-Star reported.
RELATED: Grandson of a slave, Maryland centenarian still fights for Black history and civil rights
The weathered stone was sprayed with graffiti twice and chants of “move the block” erupted this week during local demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, city officials said in a statement announcing the removal.
RELATED: DC elementary school apologizes after Black students are asked to portray slaves
In 2019, the City Council voted in favor of its removal and relocation to the Fredericksburg Area Museum, and a judge upheld that decision in February after two businesses near the auction block sued to stop the relocation.
The museum now plans to display the knee-high stone in an exhibit chronicling the “movement from slavery to accomplishments by the local African American community,” the Free Lance-Star said.
